Effective Tips to Gain Weight Fast and Build Muscle

Commit to a Regimen and Set Goals

In the same way that dieting to lose weight requires a strict regimen, dieting and exercising to gain weight and muscle calls for a firmly-adhered to process. Set up a goal for how much you want to gain--small goals generally work best, since they are more realistic. If you are planning to gain 40 pounds, start by planning to gain 20 pounds, so that you can see the fruit of your labors more quickly.Decide on a diet and exercise plan that is, above all, realistic for you. If you can't see yourself fitting it into your daily schedule, you probably won't be able to keep it up for very long.

Increase Calorie Intake

If you're going to gain weight, you need to be taking in more calories than you can exhaust daily. This means, simply, eating more. Most people don't count calories on a daily basis, so to begin your new diet, you should spend about a week recording what you eat. This will give you an understanding of how many calories you consume per day, and will help you know how you should change your eating habits.Once you have figured out your daily calorie intake, add about 300 more calories to your daily intake. Increase this amount slowly until you begin to gain weight.

Foods to Eat

Foods that will help you gain muscle are: fish, dairy products (especially whey, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and low fat yogurt), eggs, unroasted nuts and seeds, and meat and poultry.

Weight Training

If you do not do weight training as you increase your calorie intake, the weight you gain will be fat and not muscle. The best way to gain muscle is to use compound weight lifting exercises, such as squats, bench presses, and chin-ups, among others. These types of exercises simultaneously work different muscle groups.Work out at least 3 times a week for the best muscle building results.

Listen to Your Body

If you experience pain or unusual amounts of fatigue, you are probably driving your body too hard. Make sure to always drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration and loss of stamina, and get at least eight hours of sleep per night--these are things your body needs, especially when you are working out and building muscle. Also, if you experience pain that is severe, go see a doctor as soon as possible.